I Belong with You
by ChocoholicMonkeyfish
Summary: "But it wouldn't be a true Foster event without a little drama right?" Brallie xx


A/N: So this was a lot harder to finish than I thought it would be, mostly because I'm worried my last story was a fluke. Also the show has been so depressing lately, but then this week with that song (oh man!) I got a little inspiration back. Anyway, I hope you like this one!

I don't own The Fosters. I just have a borderline unhealthy obsession with it...

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It was official. It's been eight years since she moved into their home, seven years since her brother was made a permanent member of their family, and today she had finally joined him. Today she became a Foster.

Callie looked around the backyard of her family's home watching the remaining guests as they mingled about. They hadn't invited too many people, just the important ones and it was mostly just the family left. It was so nice to have everyone back at the house at the same time, something that didn't happen very often these days. Mariana and Jesus had just graduated from FIDM and USC respectively and were still living up in LA as they looked for jobs. Jude was wrapping up his sophomore year at San Diego State University and would be moving out of the house and into his own apartment in a few weeks. Lena and Stef were taking bets on how often he would show up needing food or laundry though.

She and Brandon had gone the farthest for college, both attending schools on the east coast. Brandon had of course gone to Julliard while Callie had been accepted at the Rhode Island School of Design. She had wanted so badly to get out of California after she turned eighteen but hadn't told anyone where she was applying, thinking that it was a long shot at best. When her acceptance letter had arrived it was met with mixed reactions. Brandon had been ecstatic for her and even happier that they were only going to be separated by a couple hundred miles instead of a few thousand. The twins had been happy for her but told her that they would miss her. Stef and Jude weren't thrilled with the thought of her being so far away for four years, but Lena had understood her need to escape and had helped her talk the other two into letting her go.

Her four years at RISD had been amazing as she studied photography and made new friends, enjoying the independence she had always craved. She and Brandon had learned to love the east coast even with its crazy winters, but they missed their family and decided to move back to California after graduation. The first night in their new apartment - a modest one bedroom with both a kitchen table and a TV - Brandon proposed. That night she had lain in bed thinking about how different her life would have been if she had tried to make it on her own when she was sixteen. She knew that in all likelihood she wouldn't be standing here watching as her family danced and laughed at her wedding.

Callie was distracted from her people watching as she felt her husband's arms wrap around her waist. Husband. Brandon was her husband. She's had two years since he'd proposed to prepare herself for this moment but right now she felt happier than she'd ever thought possible.

"My dad wants to dance with you," he whispered in her ear, chuckling when she groaned.

"I know it's my wedding but I still hate dancing."

"Even with me?" He spun her around and she looked up to see the smug smile on his handsome face.

"Just as long as it's not a Viennese waltz." She popped up onto her tiptoes - her shoes having been kicked to the side long ago - and gave him a kiss.

"How about you go hide out in the house for a while and I'll try to get Mariana to dance with him. I mean isn't it like her duty as Maid of Honor to do stuff like this?"

"You're a genius. Has anyone ever told you that?" He just smiled, pulling her in for another kiss before nudging her into the house.

The kitchen was a mess with several trays of leftover food covering the island and counter space. She set about the task of packing things up and finding room for it all in the overstuffed fridge. She knew that if anyone saw her they'd think she was crazy and tell her not to bother but she felt bad leaving her family with all of the cleanup. She and Brandon would be leaving for their honeymoon in a couple of hours and everyone else would have to spend tomorrow deconstructing the backyard.

She thought back over the last few hours and smiled to herself. The ceremony had been everything she'd hoped it would. Mariana and Jesus had been Maid of Honor and Best Man, and Jude had given her away. It was unconventional but also the perfect way for her to leave her life as a Jacobs. All of the self-consciousness she had felt in her gown and veil had been shattered as soon as she saw Brandon waiting for her. He had looked at her with so much love and just a hint of awe - his eyes wide and jaw ever so slightly dropped - that she suddenly hadn't cared how ridiculous she felt because he thought she was beautiful.

The backyard had been transformed into something magical. Despite Mariana's best attempts, Callie had insisted on a small wedding at the house; something elegant but simple with only the people she and Brandon loved most. It reminded her so much of Stef and Lena's wedding, and although she hated to think back to that night and the choices she had made - the pain she had caused because she had been young and stupid and broken - she still looked back on that day as the day she had first witnessed true love. Back then she would have never allowed herself to imagine having a day like that one, but now here she was living it.

They had written their own vows and while Callie had managed to stumble her way through hers without tears she had openly cried when Brandon recited the same words he'd said to her on that fateful night eight years ago.

_"You deserve to be happy. You're amazing, and kind, and smart, and beautiful and you do. You deserve to be happy, and I want to make you happy every day for the rest of my life." _

Callie was suddenly pulled from her thoughts as she stumbled causing the tray she was holding to fall to the floor. Mindful of her dress she dropped down into a crouch easily and started gathering up the baby carrots and celery that were rolling around her feet. Once again she was thankful that Stef had helped her talk Mariana and Lena out of forcing her into the larger gowns - some of which had somehow managed to beat Mariana's Quinceañera gown in the poof department - and found her something long and flowing that she could actually move in.

Something caught her eye resting in the space between the fridge and counter and she carefully reached her arm out to retrieve it. Her fingers wrapped around the piece of paper and pulling it out she recognized it as one of the unmarked legal envelopes Lena and Stef had around the house from time to time. Holding it away from herself to shake off some of the cobwebs she wondered how long it had even been down there - she couldn't remember ever seeing someone clean out that space. She stood up and walked the tray over to the trash before opening the envelope to see if anything was inside. There were a few sheets of paper and at first she wasn't exactly sure what she was looking at. Her face fell as she read her name and she finally realized exactly what she was holding. Walking out the back door she quickly scanned the yard for her moms. She found them standing with Brandon and Mike over by the dance floor and practically ran straight to them clutching the envelope against her chest.

"Mike I'm sorry, could you excuse us for a moment." Everyone turned to look at her, Brandon's smile fading as he took in how upset she was.

"Sure," Mike said slowly, glancing at Stef and Lena before walking away from the group. Callie felt bad for dismissing him and reached out to touch his arm.

"This will just take a minute. Save a dance for me?" she asked, giving him a small smile. He smiled back, nodding his head before walking away.

Brandon took a step closer and wrapped his arm around her waist. She ignored his worried look for the moment and focused her attention on Stef and Lena. Not knowing what to say she simply held the envelope out toward them. Stef grabbed it and she and Lena shared a look of recognition tinged with guilt as they looked at the papers.

"Where did you find this?" Lena asked, trying hard to maintain eye contact with Callie.

"In the kitchen. Between the fridge and counter."

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Brandon finally spoke up, glancing between the three women.

"It's an application for adoption. For me." She turned to look at him and couldn't help but smile slightly at the terrified look on his face.

"Mom, please tell me I didn't just marry my sister." Even as he said it he tightened his arm around Callie's waist pulling her closer to him. She wrapped her own arm around him, giving his side a comforting squeeze.

"Of course not B," Stef sighed. "It's just an initial request, and we never even signed them. We had them drawn up at the same time as Jude's. Just in case." Callie felt Brandon sigh in relief, but her own body tensed at Stef's words.

"You were betting against us." The words hung in the air for a moment. It had been her first thought when she'd read the papers and Stef had all but confirmed it just now.

"No Love, we-"

"They're dated from after I'd returned from Girls United. After you'd agreed to let me and Brandon be together." She could feel tears building up in her eyes and bit down on her lower lip to keep them from falling. "You wouldn't have had them drawn up unless you thought that we would break up."

Lena stepped forward and grabbed Callie's free hand in both of her own. "You were both so young, and then when we went to start the paperwork for Jude's adoption we decided to have these made up for you so that if things had gone wrong between you two we would have something to show you that we still wanted you."

Stef walked over placing one hand on Brandon's shoulder and the other on Lena's completing the strange huddle they had formed. "But you two proved them unnecessary countless times. The last time I saw these was about six months after we got them and by then we all knew that you two were serious. Not even four years at different schools could stop you and now here we are at your wedding." Stef blinked back her tears as she looked between her two eldest children with a smile on her face.

"I can kind of understand you guys wanting some sort of security," Brandon said after a long moment. "I mean we were kind of explosive at the beginning what with the running away and restraining orders and all of the secret rendezvous. Not to mention how whiny I was the whole time you were gone." Callie laughed as Brandon winced at the memory of his teenage self. He was right of course, and she felt a little stupid as she thought about how ridiculous they had all been as teenagers.

"I'm sorry. I just saw those papers and kind of freaked out for a minute. But it wouldn't be a true Foster event without a little drama right?" She smiled sheepishly as they all chuckled.

"Oh yes, and hopefully that was the extent of it."

"Uh, moms?" Jesus ran up to the group, nervously glancing over his shoulder. "Grandma Sharon and Grandma Dana are yelling at each other. Something about the flowers?"

Stef groaned, resting her head on Lena's shoulder. "I believe you spoke too soon my love." Grasping each other's hands they followed Jesus to go wrangle in their mothers.

Callie laughed as Brandon suddenly spun her around in a twirl before pulling her back to his chest. He smiled down at her, placing a kiss on her forehead. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I was really upset but then you had to go and be all logical," she teased, resting her hands on his chest.

"Haven't you heard?" He leaned down letting his lips hover just above hers. "I'm a genius." He pulled away before she had a chance to lean into his kiss and smirked down at her. "You do realize that you promised my dad a dance right?"

"Oh God, do you think I could plead temporary insanity?"

He laughed, grabbing her hand and dragging her across the lawn to find Mike. "Come on, it won't be so bad Mrs. Foster."

And just like that she didn't mind dancing so much.


End file.
